Automatic release hitch assembly



Nov. 6, 1951 F. NovAK AUTOMATIC RELEASE HITCH ASSEMBLY Filed May 5, 1949 :El l^ "IWI-Il.

:El-ri.

atented Nov. 6, 1951 revue This invention relates toan-autonaticrelease hitch. and more .particularly to afsprlng'lrelas'e hitch for detachably securingfone end of/aplow-v controlling rope or lcable toa Stra'c'tonV Itis an object` of this inventionto provide a spring-pressed release hitch of the Vbe more particularly Jdescribed hereinafterpw chis small, compact, light inwe'i'ght, Sandieiieien-tfor properly releasing a connection 'upon tlie'wap'# pli'c'ation of a predeter'minedtension force;`

Afurther object of this invention is to (proividea trip rope `hitch 'of this -kin'd `which stormed -for- 'efficient `operation from aselected'position; fixed on the tractor.

With the above and 'other objects 'in View, invention consists in the arrangement, 'combinaL tion and details or construction Adisclosedin-fthe drawings Aand specication, and then more pare ticularly :pointed out in the appended 'fclaifns In the drawings:

Figure `1 isa side elevation `of an improved re- Vleasable hitch constructed according to anernbod-iment of this invention;

Figure 2 vis a top plan View thereof;

Figure `3 is a top plan view, .partly Ybroken away and partly in section, showing therleaselhith `in its open or extended position.; f

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on the line '4 4 of Figure k2;

Figure 5 is afragmentary 'transverse Fsection taken onthe line `5'5 of Figure Figure 6 is a transverse sectionftakenonfthe line '6&6 of Figure 2.A

Referring to the'drawings, the numeral IIB :del signates generally a 'novel relea'sa'ble hitch "coni structed according 4to van"einbodirrl'ent 'of 'my-1in: vention. The releasablehitch IU is-.partioula`rly designed for v'fixed attachmentA to 'a tractor for connecting the trip rope of the plow -or fsimi-la'r fairn` implement Vwhich is detachablly idraw'n by 'the tractor. rconnectedV to the fclutch orV other plow-actuating tnler'nber "carried by Athe plow land to fthe hitch iIII,r fixed on the tractor. Upon disengagement of theplow or other implement from the tractor.; Vas `when the lplow engages an obstruction in the `ground and becomes detachedA from the tractor, the trip rope R will be released from `the hitch Ill when a suitable force isexerted-on the rope as the tractor moves away xfrom*t-he obstructed farm implement. The disengagement of the trip rope -IR from the hitch I0 will disengage the trip rope from the tractor, so that the trip rope'will fnotda'magea'ny of the levers' orother parts of the plow which have `become disengaged.

The trip rope hitch III is formed of an elon- 3 claims (o1. 28o-15o) thereto.

The tripV ropeR is -adaptedfto be gated plate 'II which 'isadapted' to be secured `provided with an aperture I4 through which a2 boltd isiiadptd to Abe engaged fori securing thf hitch llIII to ltli tractor.A The bolt I5'lis adapted to jbe'- engaged through a "suitable'xed support T carried vby lthe-tractor adjacentfthe operatorlforfwitlin e'asyr'each., so that theoperatr may actuate the `tri'pro'pe R for raising larid lowering `the Dlowsas desired.

T plate-II extendslrearwardly from-itslconectii to `the"ftractor T land is formed 'withfan elongated "slot `I6 --adja'cent the rear end fthe're oi Ehe-'slotI I'S is positioned-for extending-lorie gitudinally of the plate II adjacent-therear 'end thereof 'and `Vfforr'ns 'a pa'rt of 'agui'de means-f orfrockably and s'lidabl'zfl 'supporting-atrip-rdpe; engaging-lever I,'I-. The"gud'e means-2| embodies a s'cid'plate IB-having fa longitudinal -sl'ot 524 tlier'ei-irl, Wl'i'c'his arrarlge adjacent olie-face fo'ffpl'ateIfI inwardly.Orland-*spaced .from the Aother fend 'off thefplaite I-Il. TI-'he forward lend If9 of thefplate I8 is inclihdiorwardly from th'e center panel- 2E thereof which 'fisfpostined utwa'rdly .fromV theplate- LII inspaced relation The kt'forwardly and inwardly-inclined end lISI forins a-lo'eveled edgeV inclined outwardly and rearwardly relative tothe plate t8.V 'The rear end -22 oftheplate It Sis-inclined Vrea'rw'ardly 'and inwardly `for connectingfthe rear end of the Yplate- I8 "to 'their-'ear end or the plate I I'.- The i-nterre-i'ate part Y2li Cf thef'pl'ate TIS is-'formed with 'a lori'gitdinallyeextendihg slot 25 vtherein which i's-fadiptedlto be positioned 'in transverse alignment with the -slot 'IG'forpurposes 'to be llfre'ihafte'r described. AThe front 'and rear fends fofv the outwardly-spaced plate I'S 4are secured-to fthe base-plate -"IVI by rivets 25 or vother suitable :fastening devices o'rfs'eclirly fastening the plat I'B to the rear 'end of the vplate II with the slot -24 in transverse al-ignrn'entv ont a horizontalfplane withtlie longitudinally-extending slot I.v

vlever- I-'I vis arranged '--longlitudnally of and ini-substantially parallel 'relation with respect 'to the l'plate lII and lis connected adjacent one lend thereof l`to a guide Imea'ns or plate I8 V-for vlongitudinal' sliding movement and 'swinging -mov'emerit-'about ka'nfa'xis transverse of the .platefvll lfrom the position substantially parallel` 'to the 4i'tlateit'o -a positionitran'sverse of the plate `I'I. Thelother end of 4the lever I'I :is adapted tore'- -inovablyreceive a ring `40 carried by an endfof a trpflro'pe -R. A transversely disposed pin 26 is fixe'dlyfcarriedbythelever I'I adjacent toand spacedlfrom'fsad one end thereof and is posi tiohedbetween the fplatef. I 8 and fplate VI I, said-:pin constituting an Zaxis transverse `of* the plate 'II about `which the v'lever I'I. 'is fswung from the position substantially parallel to the plate `I'I "to ia postion transversely" of vthe latter 'nameduplate It isato--be noted that Ythe lever -II extends freely Jthro'ughfthe Lslots YIii-and 24 inthe .plates lI'I yand I8 respectively. In this mannerithe vlever =I=`I-is pivotally and slidably carried by the guide #means lf2I ifor @longitudinal sliding movement and transverseapivotalmovemen-t.

engagement of the outwardly-olset plate Ill-Withl the base plate II. The spring 34 normally ten- 4 I a tractor comprising a base plate formed with a longitudinal slot therein, a second plate overlying the rear end of said base plate spaced outwardly therefrom, said second plate having a longitudinal slot in registry with the slot of said base plate, valever slidably and pivotally engaged in said I slots, a pivot pin xed on said lever slidable besions the lever I'I to a forward position in the A locking element or .hook 35 is fixed on the forward end of the base plate II and extends outwardly from one side thereof, the same side as the outwardly-onset plate I8. The hook 35 is formed of a flat sheet of metal which may be xed to or formed from the base plate II and positioned for engagement with the outer or other end of the lever I'I. The hook 35 is formed with an outwardly-extending shank or bight portion 36 which is xed at one end to the base plate II and an upwardly-extending lug or barb 31 spaced outwardly from the base plate II defining a substantial seat 38 therebetween.

In the use and operation of the trip-ropehitch assembly I0, the ring 40 which is ordinarily carried by the free end of the trip rope R is initially engaged over the free end of the lever Il by disengaging the lever I' from the hook 35 to the outwardly-extending pivoted position shown in Figure 3. The hook l0 is slid up to a position adjacent the guide means 2l and the lever II is then swung about the pivots 26 and engaged in the seat 38 of the hook 35. The spring 34 will then bias the lever I1 to a forward position in the guide means 2| for positioning the lever I'I in locking engagement with the locking element or hook 35. The hitch ID will remain in this locked or closed position'during the normal operation of the tractor and plow being drawn thereby. When the plow engages an obstruction which is suiiicient to break the connection between the plow and the tractor, a tension will be exerted on the trip rope R for sliding the ring 40 rearwardly along the length of the lever I'I where the ring 40 will slide up the inclined edge or side I9 for biasing the lever I' rearwardly in the guide means 2 I The force exerted on the rope R must exceed the tension of the spring 34 for sliding the lever II rearwardly in the slots I6 and 24 for disengaging the lever I'I from the hook 35 by sliding the lever I1 rearwardly out of the seat 38. After the lever Il has been initially disengaged from the locking element 35, the spring 34, thus tensioned by the rearward sliding of the lever I'I, will bias the other end of the lever I1 to a forwardly-extending position, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, with the one end of the lever I1 in an outwardly and rearwardly-extending position, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Outer or open position of the lever II, the ring 40 is free to slide rearwardly and off from the lever I'I and out of engagement with the hitch I0, thereby disengaging the tractor from the plow and preventing any injury or damage to the plow lever mechanism, usually mounted on plows of this type.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purviewv of the appended claims. v -l I claim: i 1. A releasable hitch for securing a trip rop'e to a tractor plow or similar farm implement to tween said slots, a latch on said base plate forwardlyof said slot, one end of said lever being slidably engaged in said latch in the closed forward position thereof, and spring means engaging the other end of said lever biasing said lever to a forward closed position and an outwardlyextending open position after initial disengagement from said latch.

2. A releasable hitch for securing a trip rope of a farm implement to a tractor comprising a plate having one end adapted for connection to the tractor, a longitudinally extending guide means arranged adjacent one face of said plate inwardly of and spaced from the other end thereof and fixedly secured thereto, a lever arranged longitudinally of and in substantially parallel relation with respect to said plate and connected adjacent one end thereof to said guide means for longitudinal sliding movement and movement about an axis transversely of the plate from the position substantially parallel to said plate to a position transversely of said plate, the other end of said lever being adapted to removably receive a trip rope, spring means operatively connected to said one end of said lever and said plate for urging said lever to its position transversely of said plate, and a locking element on said one face of said plate and spaced from said guide means for embracingly receiving said other end of said I lever to thereby hold said lever in its position parallel to said plate.

3. A releasable hitch for securing a trip rope of a farm implement to a tractor comprising a plate having one end adapted for connection to the tractor, a longitudinally extending guide means arranged adjacent one face of said plate inwardly of and spaced from the other end thereof and fixedly secured thereto, a lever arranged longitudinally of and in substantially parallel relation with respect to said plate, pivot means extending transversely of and on said lever adjacent one end thereof connected to said guide means for longitudinal sliding movement and swinging movement about said pivot means as an axis from the position substantially parallel to said plate to a position transversely of said From the plate, the other end of said lever being adapted to removably receive a trip rope, spring means operatively connected to said one end of said lever and said plate for urging said lever to its position transversely of said plate, and a locking element on said one face of said plate and spaced from said guide means for embracingly receiving said other end of said lever to thereby hold said lever in its position parallel to said plate.

FRANK NOVAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,384,195 Hulsebos et al July 12, 1921 1,786,314 Passmel Dec. 23, 1930 2,478,124 Mussman Aug. 2, 1949 

